Corker, McDonnell comment about Thatcher death

Former prime minister of Britain Margaret Thatcher passed away on April 8, 2013.

U.S. Senator from Tennessee Bob Corker had this to say about the passing of the former British prime minister:

"Margaret Thatcher will rightly be remembered as a plain-spoken and aggressive advocate for democracy and free markets and for her strong leadership in the fight against communism, which helped preserve and strengthen Western values and institutions for generations to come. Her courage, clear thinking and lifelong friendship with the United States continues to inspire us all."

Corker is a Republican and a ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell released the following statement:

"With great sadness, I learned of the passing of Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Throughout her career, including 15 years as leader of the Conservative Party, Prime Minister Thatcher kept to her principles and used her remarkable talents to achieve positive results for the country she loved. As the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom she set an example for generations to come by leading with courage, grace, and unfaltering resolve. In my fourth year in the legislature in 1995, Baroness Thatcher addressed the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond, saying ‘those unwilling to live the strenuous life of liberty; those who do not value freedom for its own sake, rather than its comforts, are unlikely to hold on to it… when I consider all that this place has given to democracy, I am moved to say that in spirit, I am a Virginian.’ Virginia stands with the people of Britain in mourning the passing of this pioneering leader and in reflecting on her life of service."